Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for August 1st

All Concerts Edition: incredible forgotten '60's fest, a legendary benefit that almost didn't make any money for the cause, and a U.K. band's first U.S. show...!

8/1/1969 (48 years ago today) - How come we don't remember this one?: The three-day Atlantic City Pop Festival gets underway at New Jersey's Atlantic City Race Track. Over 100,00 attended but no camping out was allowed, so concert goers arrived and departed each day; tickets were $15 for all three shows(!), single day tix $6, and ticket holders were allowed either a seat in the stands or the right to roam the field in front of the stage. The Friday, Aug. 1 line-up featured Booker T. & The MG's, Chicago (Transit Authority), Iron Butterfly, Jefferson Airplane, Joni Mitchell (who famously left the stage in tears after just a few songs because nobody was paying attention to her!), Little Richard, Procol Harum and The Chambers Brothers. On Saturday, it was Creedence Clearwater Revival, B.B. King, The Byrds, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Tim Buckley; then, wrapping up the fest on Sunday night {incredible line-up here}, how about Canned Heat, Dr. John, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Santana, Sha Na Na, The Buddy Rich Big Band, The Moody Blues, Three Dog Night, and The Mothers Of Invention!!! And to think, this all went on before Woodstock!!! Kinda mind-boggling when you mull it over...

8/1/1971 (46 years ago today) - Live Aid never would've happened without it: The Concert For Bangla Desh, organized by George Harrison to aid victims of famine and war in that devastated country, took place at Madison Square Garden. There were two shows actually, a 2:30 afternoon matinee and an 8:00 evening performance, and the event is now generally regarded as the first-ever benefit concert of such magnitude: in addition to Harrison, performers included ex-Beatlemate Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Badfinger, with Ravi Shankar opening the shows with a set of Indian classical music. There was a drawback, though, due mostly to the pioneering nature of the venture: a fantastically confusing set of legal mitigation problems ensued, and it wasn't until 1985 that the revenue from the concert (and its subsequent live album and film), estimated at around $12 million, finally made its way to Bangla Desh relief. For the years in between, George paid for everything out of his own back pocket!

8/1/1980 (37 years ago today) - It was also lead singer Joe Elliott's 21st birthday!: Def Leppard made their U.S. concert debut when they opened for AC/DC at The Palladium in New York City. Yes, you read that right, it was almost 40 years ago!!! 

Share your ticket stubs with the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"I don't understand/But it sure looks like a mess...", xoxo!